Take the Shot
by Tigereye77
Summary: JJ has a question for Hotch regarding something he said to Morgan.  Based on a line from "It Takes a Village".


**A/N: It's incredible, but I've actually done my first Criminal Minds one shot! I thought I'd forever only write long, drawn out stories, but no! I've broken the cycle! I'm a bit in the minority, I think. I didn't completely love the premiere episode. I actually really didn't like how they resolved the whole Doyle issue. It just felt anticlimactic after the build up from last season. I actually had a copy of the final script for "It Takes A Village" since August. I can tell folks that there were some differences from what we saw on screen and what was in the script (something even Erica Messer had confirmed in an interview). The Doyle story was pretty intact, but the whole Hotch/Morgan tension? Not in the original script. This story focuses on one line that is in the original script, but I might be doing a few little shorts later on. Hope folks enjoy it and leave a review if you can.**

"Who's up for another round?" Rossi asked as he looked around the table at his family, finally together after months of separation. After Strauss had informed them that their suspension had been lifted and Emily agreed to return to the team, Garcia had insisted that they all go out and celebrate.

"It's my turn to get this round," Hotch interjected.

"Oooh, free booze from the boss, who can refuse?" Garcia asked, a smile on her face. She held up her empty glass. "Another Pink Berry-tini."

The others gave their orders with the Unit Chief who slid out from his seat between Rossi and Prentiss. JJ offered to help him carry the drinks back and she followed him to the bar. After he placed the orders he turned to JJ who had been staring at him closely. "Something on your mind, JJ? You look like you've been wanting to ask me something the last few days."

She smiled slightly and looked over at the table where the rest of their friends were gathered. She organized her thoughts, unsure how to ask the question that had been plaguing her since Morgan revealed he had found Declan Doyle and the whole, unstoppable chain of events that followed.

"It'll be easier for both of us if you just say what's on your mind," Hotch gently interrupted her musings.

JJ sighed. Her question was simple, but the implications were not. Hotch was a private man, an honorable one. Her question, should he decide to answer it completely, would require him to expose the former and call into question the latter.

She steeled herself. "When Morgan called you in Pakistan regarding Doyle and Declan, you told him to 'take the shot'." She paused, giving him the opportunity to deny or explain.

Hotch looked at her, his face impassive. "I did."

JJ swallowed, the conversation becoming even more difficult with each passing second. She tried to dig deeper, hoping that belief she had in the man before her whom she respected and admire so much for his integrity, his unshakeable sense of right and wrong had an explanation that would allow her to keep that faith in him.

"You meant, if Doyle made a move on Declan, threatened him in any way, Morgan was to take the shot, right?"

Hotch stared back at her, his face still had not changed expression. "No. Once Morgan had confirmed it was indeed Doyle, he was to take the shot and take him out."

"You mean assassinate him," JJ said bluntly, her heart aching a little more.

"Yes."

She reeled at the confirmation and he could see that on her face. JJ, while able to fool reporters, still couldn't control her emotions well enough before the team. She was an open book to them all. Hotch knew he had shocked and disappointed her.

"Why?" she asked in a small voice. "Why now? Back in Boston, when Clyde Easter asked you if you could do kill Doyle, you said no. What changed? Was it because you had Morgan doing it this time?"

"I only told Morgan to take the shot because I wasn't certain if I would get back in time," Hotch replied evenly. "Otherwise, I would have done it on my own."

"But what changed from your conversation with Easter to now?" JJ pressed.

Hotch looked away and over at the rest of the team. JJ also turned her head and saw that Garcia had wrapped her arm around Emily in an affectionate gesture, but they could see the tension in the tech analyst's arm, indicating her grip was tighter than it needed to be, as though Penelope wanted to make sure she had a firm hold on the brunette so she couldn't slip away. Morgan and Reid, who obviously still had issues that needed to be worked through, were standing instead of sitting. They, like the others, were listening to whatever Rossi was saying, but every now and then, both men would glance at Emily as though to reassure themselves that she was still there. And Rossi, while telling a story that everyone was listening to, was solely focused on Emily, directing his entire conversation to her and keeping his eyes on her at all times.

"Doyle took her away," Hotch finally said. "We had to face what it was like without her. I had to listen to how everyone suffered and grieved for her. He did that to Emily and to this family. I knew if Doyle was left alive, he would try to do it again and the next time, he might have succeeded completely. I wasn't going to let that happen. I wasn't going to let him take her away."

JJ drew in a deep, shaky breath. His face was turned profile to her and the lighting in the bar was dim, but she could see the fierce protectiveness in Hotch's face. He turned to her when he heard her inhale and she got a good look at his eyes. It hit her then.

Like a film put on fast forward, the events in Boston, the months in between and the last few days played rapidly through her mind. However, the scenes were focused on simply one thing, Hotch. More specifically, Hotch's actions as they concerned Emily.

JJ remembered his hasty plan of faking Emily's death and how he had bullied and strong-armed several agencies into agreeing and executing the deception, all in the space of a few hours as the others waited for news of Emily's surgery. While they didn't have any way to contact Prentiss, they knew who could and Hotch had demanded almost daily updates on her status.

She remembered just these last few days, the intense looks he had sent Emily. The way he had stood by Prentiss at times, almost as though shielding and protecting her. JJ had thought he was merely concerned about the brunette's ability to handle this case or make sure the rest of the team's anger didn't disrupt things. But it wasn't only about that. She remembered how reluctant he had been to leave the hearing room when they had all been dismissed save for Emily, and how he paused before he walked out, as though he was fighting to stay in the room. She saw the look on Hotch's face when Doyle had died. He had been staring so intensely at Emily, JJ was surprised the other woman hadn't been burned by his look.

And while they never knew, JJ had overheard Hotch's brief conversation with Morgan in the hallway earlier that night.

"This wasn't about you. Or me. It was about saving Emily."

Yes, it was about their family, the team, but it was really about Emily. JJ took a wild swing, going on instinct.

"Does she know how you feel?"

She got him this time. The changes in his face were minute, but enough for her to see that her wild shot in the dark had hit a target. But he wouldn't be Aaron Hotchner if he didn't try to hide his feelings.

"Feel about what? I did what was necessary to protect the team."

JJ smiled as she shook her head, her blonde hair swinging to and fro. She felt better now knowing the motivation behind Hotch's orders and understanding them completely.

"This wasn't about you. Or me. It was about saving Emily." JJ parroted back at him. She saw him still, surprised she had overheard his words to Morgan and the petite blonde nearly laughed aloud.

"I don't understand what you mean," Hotch said stiffly.

She could see he did but wasn't about to admit it. "I think you should tell her," JJ continued easily. "Tell her about the months she had been gone. How much you missed her." She gave him a hard stare. "How you feel."

Hotch's mouth thinned into a line and JJ nearly laughed again. The heaviness within that had been there at the start of their conversation had disappeared. She hadn't understood how Hotch could simply order Doyle's assassination given his reluctance seven months ago. It didn't fit with the upright, by the book man she knew. Doyle had not been a threat to them with Emily gone, but he was a constant threat to Emily. JJ could understand the lengths a good, loving man would go to protect someone he loved. Had she herself not done that when Penelope had been hurt?

Their drinks came and she picked up a couple of them while Hotch got the rest. His face was still set in stubborn lines and JJ felt the need to say one more thing to him and she would drop the entire subject for now. She stopped him before they could return to the table and she nodded her head towards Emily.

"I think you should tell her," she said quietly to the silent man beside her. "Hotch, take the shot."

With those parting words, JJ walked ahead, leaving Hotch to stare after her. His gaze shifted to the brunette who was laughing at something Garcia had said. Feeling his gaze on her, Emily turned to look at him and offered him a tentative smile. He could feel the muscles in his face shifting as he returned the smile and he made his way back to the table, JJ's words echoing in his head.

"Take the shot."

Maybe he will.

* * *

><p><strong>AN 2: I am a Hotch/Emily shipper, and proud of it. **

**Don't forget that the 2nd Annual Profilers Choice Award for Criminal Minds fiction is now open for nominations. The ballots are found in the discussion forum (when in the list of stories for the CM fan fiction section, look to the top right hand corner of your screen and you'll see a link for "Discussion Forums"), Chit Chat on Authors Corner, 2011 Profilers Choice CM Awards - Nomination Ballot.**

**Thanks again for reading, and please leave some feedback if you can. Merci!**


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